day 158

I’m missing a couple of slices of skin that looked suspicious to Jesse. It’s okay. I have a lot more. It’s Friday and that used to be good news but now it’s just another day. Last day of July with no changes in how we are living. This afternoon I’m going to Karen for massage. It’s been weeks and my body needs her magic fingers. I’m going to follow Roz’ August blog from England in hopes of writing to her prompts. Hope to be productive.

 

day 157

The writers were busy and I was very surprised at what they chose to research. Their stories will be interesting and different. I was a tad short on energy and let Karen do the work with them. She is the expert on everything Del Norte and helped with the most obscure ask. This morning I have a dermatology appointment. Nothing to show him except the little sores on my lips that appear often.  He will comment  on the age spots and call them sage spots.

Day 156

Another shaky day. I don’t know why but can guess that it has something to do with the brain disorder. Walking is slow and short and I will continue to walk. If I quit moving, I may quit moving. Farmers’ market this morning. I want more green beans as they were delicious. Later, the writing class is at the museum for the lesson on research writing. I’m looking forward to it. Nothing else. Fill the green bin for pick up. I want to be well.

Day 155

Foggy outside and in my mind. Can’t focus so I can’t write. The sameness is dulling. My job is to liven up my life as it is. Can’t change the absolutely absurd way the country is going, but I can clean house, enjoy the new growth on the roses, yum fresh kale from the garden and  express my gratitude for the abundance of good things right here and now. The BOS will have a report from our health guy and I want to hear it

Day 154

The tweet tweet is not from anything in the house. It is a mystery. Hollie and I went to Brookings this morning and took on supplies.They have a big supply that I can also use but I wanted my own stash too. Soup and canned foods, paper products and cleaning stuff. It was a very good trip that filled the list and home with the day to enjoy. The air quality is poor with smoke from some distant fire. Makes the fog an icky brown.

Day 153

Another beautiful morning and I will get out and enjoy  Full of breakfast, laundry in process and feeling okay. Another restless night and it does show in my energy level. I don’t know what makes the anxiety at night except for the woes of the world. I’d be better served if I could concentrate on things I can fix. We discovered the annoying chirping is from a low battery on a smoke detector in the loft. Chuck will go up and take care of it.

Day 152

Feeling better today. Had a kind of sinking spell with shakes, headache, and lack of energy. Long sleep and today is bright and I am too. The usual routine in place. No farmers’ market because we stocked up so well on Wednesday. My split pea soup was delicious. I like the little crockpot. Might try a different walk just for variety. I wish I had a plan or connection for fun. I need conversation and laughing would sure be a winner. Weeds and walking again.

Day 151

Family dinner! Hollie’s yummy potato salad and giant hamburgers with all the trimmings. I love it when Megan visits and brings her dogs. I have split peas in the new small crockpot and will add spicy black bean patties at the end. My breakfast is blueberry cobbler with ice cream and whipped cream. Calories don’t count on Friday. Walking and yard stuff as usual. North side weeds need me.  Almost 10 K steps yesterday but conked out near the finish line. The garden is producing.

Day 150

Class was great! Worked just the way I hoped it would and it’s a tee-up for the lesson on character development and dialogue. Next week, research at the museum. My mind loves this work. Hollie and I went to Mexican food take-out after class.  We plan to do that a couple times a month. It’s good to have someone else’s cooking. Foggy morning and watering is on the agenda plus the usual walking and connecting via tech devices. Routine isn’t so bad with social breaks.

Day 149

Anxiety dreams left me unrested and needy for coffee to brush away the cobwebs. Agenda today: Tractor store for dog food, GO for bananas, farmers market for fresh produce.  Then writing class! Three prompts for the class: favorite toy, toy’s view of you, and the painting of the Kansas family. Writers will identify with a character and writer about their life. Then the editing lesson, the most important part of writing.  I am thankful for the class as it keeps my mind busy and focused.

Day 148

Another foggy start. No agenda to break up the routine. There are books to read and weeds to pull and steps to walk. Oh yeah, the joys of isolation. Chuck found a creative outlet by digging out a bowl shape in the tree stump he unearthed.  I will replant the sunflower sprouts that come with a rosebush that were from a chipmunk stash. Writing this with Jake on my lap. Sweet boy. I wish I had a social event to anticipate.  Lonely for  my people.

Day 147

We were at Wally’s at 7 AM and went through and out the other end in jig time. Only way to shop there. The ordination was beautifully done and meaningful. Linda was the star and is now the Rev. Linda. I spoke about her field work at St. Paul’s. It was a pleasure and privilege to be there. It’s foggy and damp so I won’t water. I do want to walk and make something in my new small crockpot. Maybe some yummy split pea soup.

Day 146

I am wearing a dress! Egads, I can’t even remember the last time I had dress-up clothes on plus heels. It’s Linda Lee’s ordination to the deaconate and I am representing St. Paul’s where she did her field work. It’s a privilege as only two of us are included in the small guest list. No celebration and that is sad but necessary. Later, same old routine. Water and weed and walk. Procrastination is a problem with these unscheduled days and I need discipline to progress.

Day 145

New phone! The old one had problems and I need the connections. Now I have to learn how to use it. It’s a beautiful morning and I’m going to walk as soon as the laundry is done. Art and Ellen brought vegs from their garden so we aren’t going to the market as we usually do on Saturday.  Yesterday we did more Integrating of our mutual belongings and sorted out duplicates. Karen will take them to Good- will tomorrow. More and more solid living arrangement.

Day 144

Another no agenda day. Much as I talk to myself about instituting discipline, the time goes and I don’t follow through. Today, yes, today, time with the paper journal commenting on my activities instead of simply listing them. I have feelings about how we are living our lives that I want to sort out on paper.  And time with reading even if it is only a few minutes. Then after watering, weeds to harvest, walks to take and enjoyment of family. I have much gratitude.

Day 143

Class was great. I am so grateful for the change and stimulation plus new people to get to know through their writing. I could do this forever. Today, walk and weed. I need to go for my prescriptions and Sudafed for the ear stoppage. Rosalie had a useful visit with the hearing lady and I want to do that too. Hollie also has a hearing loss and we will do this together. It’s a quality of life issue that we can fix. Onward and upward.

Day 142

Long texting with Rosalie about quality of life issues and how we can get the best out of our current lifestyles. I know I need discipline and I know how to get back on a positive routine. Less TV, more reading and writing, along with nutrition, mat exercises, and the yard and walking that means stability now. Today is writing class and I am ready with a lesson on embellishment and building description.  Teaching has given me focus and productivity and it counts for well-being.

Day 141

Deep conversation yesterday with Paulette. It’s the first time we have talked and I was surprised at how much we shared. At church we didn’t connect. Neighbor Shaun is planning to dig up rose bushes and offered them to me so I cleared a place outside my gate for them. It felt good to dig up old calla lilies and weeds. More roses! I’m rich. Walking and  yard, of course. That’s life. Now the state is locked down again and it won’t matter to us.

Day 140

The roses are in. Some are rather spindly from being in small pots too long and they will thrive. I have watered and done the wash. Chuck and Hollie went to Roseburg for his appointments with the VA. Four hours each way and that makes a long day. I have my usual day with walking and weeding. There is always time for both in this day that marks four months of isolation. Who would have thought that our world could change so radically so quickly.

Day 139

Poor sleep with anxiety dreams that left a residue. I feel shaky and unwell.  No new kale from the market but four of the roses are planted. I’m looking forward to watching them grow. I will get outside and water plus plant the other roses. Being busy outside helps my attitude and energy. Hollie brought fruit. She takes good care of my food needs. We are planning to stock up on essentials. Don’t know what catastrophe will happen next. Chuck wants to get a freezer.

Day 138

After a couple of peoply days that I enjoyed immensely, I am tired. Poor sleep doesn’t help. I enjoyed conversations with Jim, Karen, Debbie, Delia, Rosalie and  two writers plus an hour on the phone with Cillay plus numerous texts. Filled me up with my missed contacts and wore me out. Hollie and I will walk to the farmers’ market and hope to find the herb farmer who might have dino kale starts. Then it’s shovel time to plant the nine rosebushes that Rosalie brought.

Day 137

Best waking up energy in a long while. My house is clean. I can plug the vacuum in one place and clean the entire floor. All neat and orderly for my two writing people who missed Wednesday’s class and are coming for a catch-up session.  I can seat them at least six feet apart and wear my face shield. The rest of the day is usual routine and I’m glad for my part in it. Good nutrition yesterday. I didn’t fall into any snack traps.

Day 136

The class started and I did okay. I am rusty with leading a class , more so than I realized. I like the participants and we should make fun progress. Today I am tired from the busy night. No agenda except going back to the office to retrieve my walking stick. The door slammed before I was ready to leave. Watering, walking, oh well, some people don’t even have that in their routine. I enjoy watching the vegs growing. Lots of blossoms on the zucchini.

Day 135

Another great weather start for the day. Hollie and I will walk to the farmers’ market for our goodies. We might connect with the herb lady who has veg starts and get a dino kale baby. All the new plants are doing well. Then later I get to meet my writing class and get going with the process. Today will start with palm of the hand short writes and it breaks the ice too. I’m happy to  have something to think about and plan for.

Day 134

Beautiful morning for planting the kale and chard starts. Later Hollie and I will walk to Wild Rivers for shopping and sandwiches. I want to look at masks and hope to find one that is more comfortable than what I have now. I am concerned about talking a lot through the mask as I get breathy and hot. I don’t want to have a problem when I start teaching tomorrow. The dogs did fine at the vet exam and the usual recommendation to brush  their teeth.

Day 133

Hair trim this morning and I need it. I like the long and curly look but it needs taming. Later, the dogs go for their annual exam . Minnie is slipping and I am not ready to give her up. Otherwise it’s another isolation day with the walking and yardwork routine. Hollie brought kale and chard starts from the farm and they have beds prepared for them. My house is clean and I have nothing to sort. Soon Hollie and I will plan furniture changes.

Day 132

Lots of yard work yesterday to get the planters ready for new plants. Hollie is going to pick up kale and chard starts from the farm stand. I woke up well after a noisy night of fireworks. My house is clean and the walks are swept from all the windblown debris. Besides walking and planting, it’s a Sunday without church again. The cocvid is keeping us from our gatherings and I miss it a lot. My mind is busy planning the writing class. Moving forward.

Day 131

I worked in the area behind the lemon and rhody trees. Lots of berry and morning glory vines. I like pulling and grabbing growth that doesn’t belong. I have watered and enjoyed the calm cool morning. The dogs go to the spa at 9 followed by our visit to the farm stand. I’m ready to get my refrigerator full of produce as I use it up fast. Maybe get kale and chard starts at the stand. We need our crop to get going even late.

Day 130

Walked to Safeway early to be there when they opened at 7 AM. Made my four purchases and was home before 7:30. Only a few shoppers and they wore masks. It’s foggy and that’s a relief from the incessant wind.  Chuck bought a garden wagon yesterday and I filled it with weeds. It has four wheels so it is easier than my wheelbarrow. The plants are all doing well. Had a snail fest that Jake enjoyed. The boy like to crunch them. No agenda today.

Day 129

Beautiful morning. No wind, yet. Yesterday was about long phone conversations  with friends who were in the dumps about their circumstances. Nothing I could help with except listen. The tension got into my night and I woke up several times tight and had to breath and relax. This morning we are going to the tractor store to buy a new garden cart. We are doing clearing and my small wheel barrow isn’t enough. I like the work. Good day to stay away from tourists places.

Day 128

Early walk with Hollie to the farmers market. We will get the errands done before the wind gets strong again . I finished repotting David’s plants and arranged them on the deck. Nice to have color and hummingbirds and bees come to visit. I may go back to cleaning behind the rhody as my back has recovered from the assault behind the lemon trees. I have scratches and bruises and like the result. It feels good to get physically tired and not just emotionally weary.